Felly and spoke connection



ATTORNEY INVENTOR "I'll/11110111 wax/1M R. HUFF' Nov. 24 1925.

FELLY AND SPOKE CONNECTION Filed May 27, 1920 Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

RUSSELL HUFF. OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

DODGE IBRGTHERS INCL, A GORPORATIUN IZEARYLAND.

FELLY AND SPOKE CONNECTION.

Application filed May 27,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Rnssnm. How, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Detroit, Michigan, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in a Felly and Spoke Connection, of whichthe following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved wheel construction, particularly onein which the felly is formed of sheet metal with wooden spokes, and myobject is to improve and simplify the construction.

lVheels which are formed as set forth in the Baker Patent #1336385.dated April 6, 1920, have been suggested, but this form is open tovarious objections. One of the principal objections is that the boltswhich pass through the spokes exert too great a pressure upon the woodenspokes when the nuts are screwed up and give a crushing effeet, whichseriously interferes with their efliciency and life. One of my objectsis to avoid this objection. Other advantages will be apparent from thefollowing description.

In the drawings showing the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view;

Fig. 2, a section on the line A-A;

Fig. 3, a section on the line C-C;

Fig. 4, a section on the line BB; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion on line DD of Fig. 1.

1 is the folly of the wheel, which may advantageously be formed ofmetal. 2 and 3 are the spokes. In order to hold the spokes, and at thesame time prevent a crushing effect from being brought to bear uponthem, I have provided two metal rings 4 and 5, which are formed intospoke sockets between them. The former is preferably an integral portionof the metallic felly. One or both of these rings may be bent, as indicated, to form sockets in which the spokes are located. Preferablyboth rings are, at each spoke, bent as illustrated in Figs. 4. and 5 toform curved portions embracing the spokes. 7 Between the spokes orsockets the rings abut against each other, preferably as in dicated at6, so that when the rings are drawn together the tension will beprincipally taken up by the abutting edges and the otherwise crushingeffect not transmitted to the wooden spoke heads.

In the preferred form of the invention 1920. Serial No. 384,541.

illustrated, the ring 4 and the felly band of the wheel indicated at 1are formed from a single piece of sheet metal circular in form and bentin proper shape. This piece of sheet metal is bent so that the outerpart of the ring 4 is substantially perpendicular to the felly band 1and that the portion of said ring between the spoke sockets extendstransversely of the plane of the wheel and preferably substantiallyparallel with the felly band at a distance from the felly band. The ring5 is also formed of a piece of sheet metal bent to the desired shape. Asshown in the drawings, this ring is formed with an outer portionsubstantially perpendicular to the folly band and with an inner portionex tending transversely of the plane of the wheel preferablysubstantially parallel with the felly band and arranged to abut againstthe inner portion of the ring l at a distance from the folly band. Thering 5 is adapted to lit closely within the telly band, as shown, andwhen placed in operative position with in the felly band a closed spaceis formed be tween the rings 4 and 5 and the felly band between thespokes. This construction renders the felly of the wheel strong andcomparatively rigid and enables the same to withstand in a reliablemanner the heavy strains to which the same is subjected.

'lhe fastening means for holding the two rings in place and clamping thespokes may, if desired, be bolts or rivets passing through the rings,and preferably one through each spoke head. In the drawings, I haveshown each alternate spoke provided with a head ed bolt 7, and eachother alternate spoke with a rivet 8. In order to prevent the bolts fromturning in the hole in the spoke bored for the reception of the bolt,the hole is preferably smaller than the bolt itself, and the latter isprovided with a friction portion, such as longitudinal corrugations 9,which will prevent the bolt from turning in the spoke when the bolt isused as part of a rim fastening means in the usual manner.

I preferably turn the spoke ends to a di ameter somewhat larger than thesocket, so that when the wheel is assembled the end of the spoke will besomewhat compressed, as indicated at 10 in Figs. 2 to 5, thus holdingthe end very tightly and providing some allowance for future shrinkageof the spoke. I also prefer to make the socket somewhat elliptical, sothat its diameter in a direction circumferential to the wheel ispractically the same as that of the spoke, while its dimension parallelwith the axis of the wheel is somewhat less than the spoke diameter, asindicated.

It will be observed that the portion of the ring 5 which directlysurrounds the spoke abuts at each end of the bent portion, as indicatedat 6 in Figure 4, against the other ring and therefore forms a virtualarch construction, taking the strain off from the spoke head. It,therefore, is not necessary that this socket portion be connected withor extended to the corresponding portion of the next adjacent socket.The construction illustrated, in which these half socket portions areall formed from a single ring, is the construction which I prefer.

I am aware that various changes may be made from the constructionillustrated without departing from the spirit of my invention asclaimed. I therefore do not limit myself to the preferred embodimentabove described and illustrated.

lVhat'I claim as new is- 1.. In a wheel, the combination of a fclloe andtwo metallic rings constructed to form spoke sockets located between therings and arranged to conform to the shape of and support the spokes forsome distance outwardly from the inner edges of the rings, one ringbeing fixed to the felloe and the other separate therefrom, said ringsabutting against each other between the sockets.

2. In a wheel, the combination of a spoke and a spoke socket formed bytwo metallic socket members, one on each side of the socket, each ofsaid members being bent laterally around the spoke and abutting againstthe other socket member to form a spoke-holding socket smaller indiameter than the original diameter of the spoke head, and means fordrawing the two socket members together to compress the spoke headwithin the socket.

3. In a Wheel, the combination of a series of spokes, a circular pieceof sheet metal bent to form a felly band and a ring extending inwardlyfrom the felly band, a second separate sheet metal ring extendinginwardly from the felly band and fitting closely within the same,spoke-holding sockets formed by lateral bends in at least one of therings extending about the spoke heads, the rings abutting against eachother between the sockets at a distance from the felly band, and meansfor drawing the two rings together.

4. In a wheel, the combination of a series of spokes, a circular pieceof sheet metal bent to form a felly band and a ring extending inwardlyfrom the felly band in the general direction of the plane of the wheeland bent to form partial socket portions arranged to encircle partiallythe spoke heads and portions between the sockets extending transverselyof the plane of the wheel at a distance from said felly band, a secondring formed of sheet metal arranged to fit within the telly band andextend therefrom inwardly in the general direction of the plane of thewheel, the second ring having laterally bent partial socket portionsarranged to encircle partially the spoke heads, and portions between thesockets extending transversely of the plane of the wheel at a distancefro-m said felly band so as to abut against the corresponding portionsof the first ring, and means for drawing the two rings together tosecure the spoke heads within the sockets formed by said rings.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a felly and two metallic rings formedinto spoke sockets between them and abutting against each other betweenthe sockets, one of which rings is secured to the felly, a series ofspokes having heads normally of greater diameter than the diameter ofthe sockets and compressed within said sockets, and means for securingthe rings together.

6. In a wheel, the combination of a series of spokes, a circular pieceof sheet metal bent to form an inclined flange at one margin thereof, afelly band and a ring extending inwardly from the felly band in thegeneral direction of the plane of the wheel and having partial socketportions arranged to encircle partially the spoke heads and portionsbetween the sockets extending transversely of the plane of the wheel ata dis tance from said felly band, a second ring formed of sheet metalarranged to [it within the felly band and extend therefrom inwardly inthe generaldirection of the plane of the wheel, said second ring havinglaterally bent partial socket portions arranged to encircle partiallythe spoke heads, and portions between the sockets extending transverselyof the plane of the wheel at a distance from the felly band so as toabut against the corresponding portions of the first ring, a series ofspokes having heads normally of greater diameter than the diameters ofthe sockets formed by said rings and compressed within said sockets, andmeans for securing the two rings together to hold the spokes within thesockets.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan, this 24th day of May, 1920.

' RUSSELL HUFF.

